1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mechanical means for storing energy and in particular to magnetically augmented flywheels coupled to an internal combustion engine for storing a portion of the power output thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As conventional sources of energy, such as petroleum, natural gas, etc., become more expensive, it becomes more economical to develop new methods and machines for conserving energy which was heretofore wasted. It also becomes more economically feasible to design methods and machines to operate under optimum conditions for maximizing the conversion ratio of mechanical energy produced to the quantity of fuel consumed. Other considerations such as the reduction of hydrocarbon pollutants and noise also influence the designers' decisions as to the design approach to energy conversion machines.
The automobile is an excellent example of the changing priorities in the design of energy storage and conversion machines. When petroleum products were inexpensive, it was more expedient to provide the large internal combustion engines required to meet the peak power demands of the automobile, since fuel economy was not an important consideration. However, it is now good design procedure to minimize the weight of the internal combustion engine and maximize the energy conversion ratio. One method of accomplishing this objective is to utilize a smaller engine which can run at a relatively constant speed, and coupling to this engine an energy storage device such as a flywheel. During the periods of peak energy demand, the energy stored in the flywheel and the energy supplied by the internal combustion engine can both be utilized for powering the vehicle. In periods of slack demand, the engine can replenish the kinetic energy stored within the flywheel to prepare the system for future peak energy demands.
The present invention relates to a novel apparatus for increasing the energy stored within the flywheel or, in the alternative, reducing the rotational speed of the flywheel while maintaining the same energy storage capacity. This energy is obtained from an internal combustion engine through a clutch, with the power from the internal combustion engine also being instantaneously available to supply immediate power requirements. Both the output of the internal combustion engine and the energy stored within the flywheel are harnessed for driving an electrical generator. The power output of the electrical generator can then be controlled to respond to the power required by the electrical loads, such as motors, etc.
Other related inventions are disclosed by Reinbeck in U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,325; Kinzel in U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,317; Dudley et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,508,256; Mager in U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,742; and Haydon in U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,646.